In the manufacture of vehicles such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles and the like, band clamps are commonly used for joining pipe ends together in the engine exhaust system. Also, band clamps are commonly used for joining hoses, such as hydraulic hoses, to hose fittings. In these applications, it can be important for the pipe joints to provide a good fluid seal to prevent leakage. It can also be important for the joint to exhibit a high degree of mechanical strength for withstanding road shock and vibration without loosening and without impairment of the sealing properties of the pipe joint. Band clamps for such vehicle exhaust systems are commonly used for making both lap joints, with the pipe ends overlapping each other, or butt joints, with the pipe ends abutting each other. In such applications, the clamp tightening mechanism must be capable of exerting a stretching force on the clamp sleeve so that it produces a radially-directed compressive force between engaging surfaces of the band and the underlying pipe ends whereby the pipe joint may exhibit good mechanical strength and sealing properties.
Band clamps are already known in the prior art which have the capabilities described above. Such clamps are exemplified by Cassel et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,226 granted Dec. 16, 1986 and Cassel U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,526 granted Jan. 26, 1982, and the entire contents of these two patents are hereby incorporated by reference. Apart from these two Cassel patents, the Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,588, granted Dec. 21, 1982 and Calmettes et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,698, granted Jul. 21, 1992, disclose band clamp designs using alternative reaction member designs. While the clamps of the aforementioned patents may be suitable for their intended applications, it is desirable to provide a band clamp having a clamp tightening mechanism which can be manufactured in high volume at lower cost than at least some of these prior art designs.